Vortex pump



Dec. 27, 1966 v. s. LOBANOFF VORTEX PUMP :5 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Sept. 30, 1963 INVENTOR VAL 5. LOBA/VOFF Dec. 27, 1966 v. s. LOBANOFF 3,

VORTEX PUMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 50, 1965 INVENTOR m L 5. LOBA/VOFF 7,, Mb I40 FIG. 3

Dec. 27, 1966 v. s. LOBANOFF VORTEX PUMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Sept. 30, 1963 DISCHARGE LINE P M U P PUMP (SUPPLY LINE RESERVOIR INVENTOR VAL 3 LOBA/VOFF United States Patent 3,294,026 VORTEX PUMP Val S. Lohanotf, Port Washington, N.Y., assignor to lingersoli-Rand Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Original application Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 314,576, now Patent No. 3,255,701, dated June 14, 1966. Divided and this application Mar. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 537,501 4 Claims. (Cl. 103-104) This application is a division of US. patent application Serial No. 314,576, filed September 30, 1963, now Patent 3,255,701.

This invention relates to pumps and more particularly to a pump which is capable of pumping two or three phase pumping mediums, such as liquid and solids, or slurry, liquid and gas, or liquid, solids and gas.

Heretofore, it has been known that when rotary pumps are utilized to pump a pumping medium comprising a liquid containing entrained solid material therein, the solid material, usually moving at great velocities, exerts an abrasive action upon the impeller, which abrasive action drastically reduces the life of the impeller. In addition standard rotary pumps require a high net pump suction head in order to deliver a high discharge head. This means that the pump suction reservoir must be positioned high above the pump in order to provide the required net pump suction head. The location of the pump suction reservoir therefore, when standard rotary pumps are employed, is a complicated problem which often necessitates an expensive solution.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of a pump which is capable of pumping two or three phase pumping mediums.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the pump inlet velocities of the pumping medium and thus reduce the resultant abrasive action of the solids entrained in the pumping medium with attendant reduced pump wear.

Still another object of the present invention is to pump by centrifugal vortex having uniform velocities at both sides of the pump casing.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pump with complete hydraulic balance having zero axial thrust, reduced vibration with resultant reduced bearing load and attendant greater bearing life.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pump suitable for low net pump suction head and high discharge head.

In brief, the above objects are attained in a pump having a casing containing a central pump chamber, a pair of inlets located on both sides of the central pump chamber, and an impeller having a pair of axially spaced annular patterns of vane members located flanking the central pump chamber and between the inlets and containing means for admitting fluid from the inlets through the impeller into the central pump chamber where the vanes discharge the fluid radially outward from the central pump chamber located between the vanes.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view partly in section of a centrifugal pump embodying the present invention illustrating an impeller having vanes back to back;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are views similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating alternative embodiments of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating a multi-stage pump embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a pumping system.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to rotary pumps employed in pumping liquids, and solids; and liquids, solids and gases; the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with centrifugal pumps and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

With specific reference to the form of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, a centrifugal pump (FIG. 1) is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The centrifugal pump 10 has a casing 12.

Impeller means, such as an impeller 14 (FIG. 1) is disposed in the casing 12. The impeller 14 is rigidly secured by a key (not shown) or other suitable means to a driving shaft 16 (FIG. 1) which driving shaft 16 extends into the casing 12. The driving shaft 16 is rotated by any number of well known methods such as a standard electric motor (not shown), and thereby imparts rotary motion to the impeller 14.

The impeller 14 associates with an internal portion or wall 18 (FIG. 1) of the casing 12 to form two pumping chambers 20 and 22 (FIG. 1) and chambers 20a and 20b of FIGS. 2 and 4 respectively.

In order to admit a pumping medium composed of a liquid containing solids immersed therein, or slurry, liquid and gas, or liquid, solids and gas, in the pumping chambers 20 and 22, each of the pumping chambers 20 and 22 are supplied with inlet means such as inlets 24 and 26 (FIG. 1) in opposed end walls, as shown. Inlet 24 communicates with the pumping chamber 20 through a passage 28, and the inlet 26 communicates with the pumping chamber 22 through a passage 30. The inlets 24 and 26 are wide (as shown in FIG. 1) and are otherwise unrestricted to allow heavy slurries to pass unrestricted therethrough. In addition, the central inlet passages 28 and 30 (FIG. 1) of the inlets 24 and 26, directly adjacent to the pumping chambers 20 and 22, are of relatively large inside diameters and are provided with circular walls 32 and 34 as shown in FIGURE 1. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the circular walls 32 and 34 will allow easier flow of the pumping medium through the inlet passages 28 and 30, to reduce radial pump loads and thus improve the overall eiiiciency of the pump 10. Further the circular walls 32 and 34 will permit the smooth passage and admittance of the pumping medium into the pumping chambers 20 and 22 with a resultant reduction of the abrasive action of the solids in the pumping medium on the walls 32 and 34 and attendant decrease in the pump friction loads.

In order to drive the pumping medium, the impeller 14, which is of a thickness substantially equal to that of wall 18, is provided with driving means and opposite faces carrying vanes 37 (FIG. 1) formed between a series of angularly spaced recesses disposed on both sides of the impeller 14. The impeller 14 and the vanes 37 are recessed into the internal portion 18 of the casing 12. Therefore, although the impeller 14 and the vanes 37 communicate with the pumping chambers 20 and 22, the impeller 14 and the vanes 37 are wholly outside of the pumping chambers 20 and 22 thereby substantially reducing contact between the pumping medium and the vanes 37 with resultant reduction of abrasive action and wear on the impeller 14 and the vanes 37 by the solids and slurry in the pumping medium with attendant prolonging the life of the pump.

In order to discharge the pumping medium from the pumping chambers 20 and 22, outlet means, such as an outlet 40 is provided. The outlet 40 communicates with the pumping chambers 20 and 22. The outlet diameter is equal to the diameter of the pumping chamber 20 and of the pumping chamber 22 and is not otherwise restricted to allow the smooth discharge of the slurries and the solids contained in the pumping medium.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the combination of the large twin or split inlet single outlet will result in the generation of a large vortex diameter and high outlet velocities of the pumping medium, with attendant higher pump discharge heads for a given impeller diameter. Since this centrifugal pump 10 can generate high discharge heads it can be effectively utilized in pumping systems where the pumping medium is supplied, through conduit means such as a pipe 35, to the pump inlets 24 and 26, from a supply reservoir, such as a tank 36 (FIG. with low net pump suction head. With the present invention the pumping medium can be supplied to the centrifugal pump with low net pump suction head, and the centrifugal pump 10 can still discharge the pumping medium with a high pump discharge head. Further, it can be seen that the reduced inlet velocities of the flow of the pumping medium, results in decreased abrasive action by the solids in the pumping medium against the central inlet passages 28 and 3t) and the vanes 37 and attendant decreased wear and longer pump life.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that as shown in FIG. 1, the location of the impeller 14 in the center of the casing 12, with the pumping chambers 20 and 22 disposed on opposite sides of the impeller 14, will result in the centrifugal pump 10 being completely hydraulically balanced having zero axial thrust, with attendant reduction of the bearing load and lengthening bearing life.

As shown in FIG. 1, the impeller 14 is the only rotating part in the wet area of the centrifugal pump 10, and all wear rings have been eliminated thereby increasing the pump efficiency. In order to provide lubricant between the outer surface 38 of the impeller 14 and the mating internal surface or cylindrical bore 41 the internal portion 18 of the casing 12 a conduit 42 (FIG. 1) is disposed in the internal portion of the casing 12. The conduit 42 communicates with the inlets 24 and 26 to supply pumping fluid to lubricate the outer surface 38 of the impeller.

Alternative embodiments It will be understood by those skilled in the arts that alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, a vortex impeller 14a with rings or means 44a, can be provided. The vortex impeller rings 44a have vanes 46a and are attached to an impeller hub 48a by ri-bs 50a located at the outer periphery of the vortex impeller rings 44a. The driving torque is transmitted to the vortex impeller 14a through the shaft 16a to the impeller hub 48a and through the ribs 50a to each vortex impeller ring 44a. The vortex impeller rings 44a are mounted symmetrically on each side of the impeller hub 48a. This arrangement produces equal vortexes and pump velocities for ultimate pump efficiency.

Further alternatively as shown in FIG. 3, the impeller 14b has rings or means 44b, with vanes 46b which are attached to an impeller hub 48a by radials ribs 50b located in the central inlet passages 28b and 301). It should be understood that impeller 14b may be divided transverse to its axis of rotation, each portion thereof would include one of the rings or means 44b.

Alternatively as shown in FIG. 4, the principle of the present invention can be applied to a multi-stage pump. The impeller 14c cooperates with an internal portion 180 of the casing 12c to define a low pressure pumping chamber 52c and a high pressure pumping chamber 54c. The pumping medium, such as a liquid having solids entrained therein; or slurry, liquid and gas; or liquid solids and gas; is supplied through the inlet 560 to the low pressure pumping chamber 52c for the first stage of the pumping cycle. The vanes 60c of the impeller 140 communicating with the low pressure chambers 52c move the pumping medium from the low pressure pumping chamber 520 through a wide flow passage 58c into the high pressure pumping chamber 540 for the second stage of the pumping cycle. The vanes 62c on the impeller 14c communicating with the high pressure chamber 54c move the pumping medium from the high pressure pumping chamber 540 and discharge the pumping medium through the outlet 640 of the centrifugal pump 100. All the wet passages are circular and are not restricted allowing heavy slurries to pass through the pump 10c unrestricted and to reduce radial loads and improve pump efliciency.

The impeller 14c and the vanes 60c and 620, for the respective pumping chambers 52c and 54c, are recessed in the internal portion 18c of the casing 12c. The vanes 60c and 620 are therefore removed from the pumping chambers 52c and 54c thereby substantially reducing abrasive action between the solids in the pumping medium and the vanes 60c and 620. Thus it will be understood that the two-stage pump can generate high discharge pressures while pumping a pumping medium composed of a liquid, solids and gases, and at the same time substantially reducing the abrasive action of the solids on the impeller 140.

Still further alternatively a multi-stage pump can be provided which multi-stage pump would have any number of pumping chambers in series. A series of impellers rotatably mounted in the casing defines with the casing, the series of pumping chambers. Essentially the multi-stage pump would be a series of the hereinbe'fore described two-stage pumps shown in FIG. 4.

It is understood that each of the pumping chambers of the multi-sta-ge pump is under higher pumping pressure than the precedent pumping chamber. The impellers, each of which impellers define and communicate with two pumping chambers, drive a pumping medium, such as liquid and solids, or slurry, liquid and gas, or liquid, solid and gas, from one pumping chamber to the next adjoining pumping chamber through conduit means, such as a series of wide circular conduits provided in the pump casing. The impellers are recessed in the pump casing and are substantially removed from the pumping chambers to reduce abrasive action by the solids in the pumping medium on the impellers. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that as the pumping medium is driven from pumping chamber to pumping chamber and the number of the pumping chambers are increased, the pumping medium will be imparted with increasing velocities and increasing pressures. At increased velocities and pressures the abrasive action of the solids in the pumping medium will be likely to cause great damage to interfering elements of the pump. It is therefore understood that the wide circular shape of the conduits and the impellers being recessed in the casing and being removed from the pumping chambers, will greatly reduce the abrasive damage to the conduits and to the impellers.

Inlet means, such as a wide inlet and outlet means, such as a wide outlet, are provided. The inlet communicating with the first of the series of pressure chambers, which pressure chamber is under the lowest pumping pressure, to admit the pumping medium in the multistage pump, and the outlet communicating with the last of the series of pressure chambers, which last pressure chamber is under the highest pumping pressure of the series of pumping chambers, to discharge the pumpihg medium from the multi-stage pump.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by providing a pump capable of pumping two or three phase pumping mediums. The pump reduces inlet velocities thus reducing the resultant abrasive action of the solids entrained in the pumping medium with attendant reduced pump wear. In addition the pump has uniform velocities at both sides of the pump casing resulting in complete hydraulic balance with attendant greater bearing life. Further the pump is able to discharge the pumping medium with a high discharge head even if the pumping medium is delivered to the pump inlet with low net pump suction head.

While in accordance with the patent statutes a preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A centrifugal type vortex pump comprising:

a casing including a central pump chamber dividing the casing and a pair of inlets disposed to either side of and in communication with said central pump chamber;

and a single outlet for said chamber;

an impeller rotatably journaled in said casing and centrally disposed within said pump chamber, said impeller being of a thickness equal to the axial width of the pump chamber;

said impeller having a pair of axially spaced, opposed,

annular rings circling said pair of inlets and carrying on their inner opposed faces a series of vanes with the vanes on each ring being arranged in spaced coaxial relation to the vanes on the other ring and to the center of the impeller whereby pumped fluid is moved thereby axially through the inlets into the pump chamber and discharged radially outwardly 30 between the vanes and rings.

2. A centrifugal type vortex pump as defined in claim 1, wherein said impeller is comprised of a hub having an annular radial partition extending outwardly toward the walls of the pump chamber with the pair of annular rings being carried by said partition and said vanes being integrally formed on said rings. 3. A centrifugal type vortex pump as defined in claim 1, wherein said vanes define the walls of angularly spaced recesses provided on said rings. 4. A centrifugal type vortex pump as defined in claim 1, wherein said impeller comprises a plurality of radial ribs extending outwardly from the center of the impeller, the first pair of axially spaced rings being mounted on said ribs and inner rings extending between the ribs inwardly of and coaxial with said first mentioned rings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,125,118 1/1915 Kerr 230119 FOREIGN PATENTS 169,412 4/ 1906 Germany. 361,209 7/1938 Italy.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Examiner. 

1. A CENTRIFUGAL TYPE VORTEX PUMP COMPRISING: A CASING INCLUDING A CENTRAL PUMP CHAMBER DIVIDING THE CASING AND A PAIR OF INLETS DISPOSED TO EITHER SIDE OF AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CENTRAL PUMP CHAMBER; AND A SINGLE OUTLET FOR SAID CHAMBER; AN IMPELLER ROTATABLY JOURNALED IN SAID CASING AND CENTRALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PUMP CHAMBER, SAID IMPELLER BEING OF A THICKNESS EQUAL TO THE AXIAL WIDTH OF THE PUMP CHAMBER; SAID IMPELLER HAVING A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED, OPPOSED, ANNULAR RINGS CIRCLING SAID PAIR OF INLETS AND CARRYING ON THEIR INNER OPPOSED FACES A SERIES OF VANES WITH THE VANES ON EACH RING BEING ARRANGED IN SPACED COAXIAL RELATION TO THE VANES ON THE OTHER RING AND TO THE CENTER OF THE IMPELLER WHEREBY PUMPED FLUID IS MOVED THEREBY AXIALLY THROUGH THE INLETS INTO THE PUMP CHAMBER AND DISCHARGED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY BETWEEN THE VANES AND RINGS. 